Late Saturday Night....

Saturday evening was a rare night out for *T* and I. My mom came to stay with the boys while we were gone. *T* brought me home around 8:45 pm then went back out to spend some time with his fellow firefighter friends. We try to have the boys in bed by 9pm every night but that night they were excited, as they always are when we leave them with someome else for  a few hours. Mom stayed for about an hour after I got home and then I sat down to watch a show on tv. In the meantime the boys were playing quietly in their bedroom and about the time I was going to get up to start getting them ready for bed *Z* came running into the living room and was digging in his one toy tote and went back into his bedroom with a handful of toys, then came running back and was digging for more. On his first trip through I asked him what his brother was doing and he said "just playing" and went running out of the room. I knew I had to go see for myself because they had been quiet for too long.

This is what I found when I got to their room. Now lets not forget that *K* is only 11mths old and doesn't even walk yet and it was 10:20pm when I took this photo. He was playing so contently that he didn't even know I had walked into the room until the camera flash went off.





He is sitting in the middle of *Z*'s bed playing with his Little People Tow and Pull Tractor.  That is when I figured out what *Z* was digging for in the tote in the living room. The tractor was in the bedroom but all the animals and people were in the tote in the other room. 

*Z* came back with his second load of animals and climbed up there and started playing with his brother. It was the cutest thing ever. I said "don't you think that you should be going to bed soon"? and *Z*'s reply to me was "we ARE in MY bed Momma"! I just shook my head and went back to the living room.... there is a point when  mom knows she may as well surrender!

I love that *K* is getting old enough that the two of them can sit and play now. I just wish for now they'd do it at a lower elevation. I hope *K* doesn't fall off the bed and get hurt in the mean time. I guess he is so determined to be a big kid he doesn't care that he momma says he is "too little" to be doing these things.

I also couldn't believe how wide awake they were for it being so late. I did finally get *K* to go to bed around 11pm and then *Z* and the dog fell asleep on the couch with, the cat standing guard around 11:30pm.







Friday Evening...

So... Friday evening found us here at home, the boys and I had eaten a late lunch, *T* wondering if I was making anything to eat and I was without a plan. I asked if there was anything he wanted and he said he'd eat "whatever you fix".
The guy ought to know better, is all I have to say!
A quick scan of the cupboard and fridge and these are the first things I found:

I really put my culinary skills to the test and came up with this:

That is all folks!

New Look

It was time for a change....
I was tired of the old color combination of this blog so did a little rearranging. What do you think?

Not much to report here on the home front. I've been busy with the boys.

Yesterday morning *K* figured out that he can climb onto the bottom shelf of the changing table, so that quickly because a game for he and his brother. The kept taking turns crawling in and out of the space... so cute to see finally starting to play together,
Later, I found *K* standing on *Z*'s toddler bed turning the light switch on and off. He was in the bedroom playing and I noticed the light was going on and off and went in to tell *Z* to leave it on and found it wasn't *Z* after all.... EEK..... He's too little to be doing these things already! He's only 11 1/2mths old for goodness sake and can't even walk yet... well unless you count a few lunging steps toward something "walking".
After that I couldn't keep him off the bed for anything. As soon as I'd take him to another room he'd crawl as fast as he could into the bedroom, crawl up there and bounce on the bed, sometimes hanging onto the rails sometimes not....oy vey.... I had to push it against the wall and put the huge tote of toys in front of it so he couldn't climb up there anymore.

Saturday *Z* was sneaking around the house. I asked what he was doing. "Tracking a ghost!" he says "I see ghost footprints - I follow 'em".... no doubt this old house could have ghosts but he was really following one of his white cats. He has started calling them ghosts lately and I have no idea why.
Later that day he asked me to make him some "Pawp" (pop). He seems to have the impression that I can just go to the kitchen and whip up whatever he wants. I may need to get some water kefir grains from my friend so I can try to fill his request.
He also thinks I'm the coolest mom ever (forget the fact I'm the only mom he knows) because I make him "ice cream" for breakfast! Little does he know (and you better not tell him) that what he thinks is ice cream is really yogurt and ice cubes, and the "ice cream maker" is my blender.
Oh and the latest.... "Sorry, Momma, it was a nois-ident"!!! ........ He must figure noise that he did mean to make is equivalent of an accident. So it is a Noise-ident.... ♥

There is never a dull moment around here....... I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Cinnamon Rolls with Raisins

  (printable recipe)

   6 cups all purpose flour

   2 cups warm water (110°F)

   2/3 cup white sugar

   1/4 cup vegetable oil

    2 eggs

   1-1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

   1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Filling Mixture:

   1- 1/2 cups Brown Sugar

   1/2 cup Sugar

   4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

   1 tsp Ground Nutmeg

   4 Tbsp. butter, melted

   2 cup Raisins

Icing:

   1 cup Confectioners sugar

   1 Tbsp Milk

Instructions:

In large glass two cup measuring cup, measure out 2 cups warm water. Keep in mind the sugar will drop the temperature a couple degrees so you might want to make it a bit warmer.

Add sugar directly into the water.

Add 1-1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast to the sugar water mixture and stir a little. Wait about 5 minutes. The yeast will form a creamy froth. At this point your yeast has proofed and is ready to use.

In a mixer bowl, add your salt and oil. Stir in two cups of flour and eggs and mix until eggs are incorporated. Pour in your proofed yeast water and mix well using the dough hook.

One cup at a time mix in the remaining flour. By the time the rest of the flour is in the bowl, the dough is beginning to form.

Once the dough is formed and has pulled all the flour up from the bottom of the bowl set the mixer to the second speed and mix for 5 minutes. During this time watch to see if you need to add a bit more flour. (this step takes the place of kneading the dough for 8-10 minutes by hand)

Place dough into a well oiled bowl. Pick up the dough and turn it over to coat it completely with the oil.

Cover bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm place until it has doubled (mine took about 45 minutes). An easy test to see if the dough has risen enough is to poke two fingers about a half of a inch into the dough. If the impressions remain without going immediately back into place… it is ready.

When doubled, punch down dough and knead for a few minutes to get all the air out. Divide in half.
Roll out half of the dough.

Spread with half of the filling mixture and sprinkle with raisins. You could roll out the whole thing at once but I find it is easier to work with just half at a time.

Roll up dough.

Cut into 1 inch sections and place in two greased 9 inch pie pans or something similar.

I used the other half of the dough to make a loaf of bread.

Set in a warm place, cover with damp towel and let raise for about a half hour.

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are a rich brown.

Brush tops with a light coating of vegetable oil and let cool for about five minutes before taking out of pans and putting on a plate.

Mix confectioners sugar and milk together in a bowl and spread on top.

(printable recipe)

The Perfect Wheat Bread

The Perfect Wheat Bread

(printable recipe)

3 cups all purpose flour (sifted)

3 cups whole wheat flour (sifted)

2 cups warm water (110°F, 45°C)

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1-1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

1. In large glass two cup measuring cup, measure out 2 cups warm water. Keep in mind the sugar will drop the temperature a couple degrees so you might want to make it a bit warmer.
2. Add 1/4 cup sugar directly into the water and recheck the temperature. Wait for it to cool, or microwave for a few seconds at a time until 110 degrees is reached.
3. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast to the sugar water mixture and stir a little. You will notice the yeast will settle to bottom of the measuring cup and then all rise to the top in a few minutes. The yeast will form a creamy froth. At this point your yeast has proofed and is ready to use.
4. In a mixer bowl, add your salt and oil. Stir in two cups of flour. Pour in your proofed yeast water and mix well using the dough hook.
5. One cup at a time mix in the remaining flour. By the time the rest of the flour is in the bowl, the dough is beginning to form.
6. Once the dough is formed and has pulled all the flour up from the bottom of the bowl set the mixer to the second speed and mix for 5 minutes. During this time watch to see if yo need to add a bit more flour.  (this step takes the place of kneading the dough for 8-10 minutes by hand)
7. Place dough into a well oiled bowl. Pick up the dough and turn it over to coat it completely with the oil.
8. Cover bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm place until it has doubled (mine took about 45 minutes). An easy test to see if the dough has risen enough is to poke two fingers about a half of a inch into the dough. If the impressions remain without going immediately back into place… it is ready.
9. When doubled, punch down dough and knead for a few minutes to get all the air out. Divide in half and form two loaves. Place in well oiled 9×5 bread pans. Let loaves rise in warm place for another 30 minutes, or until most of the dough has risen about a inch above the top of the pans.
10. Bake at 350°F, 175°C for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are a rich brown and tapping on the tops sounds hollow. Brush tops with a light coating of vegetable oil and let cool for about five minutes before taking out of pans and cooling on wire racks.

Wheat Bread ready to go into the oven

Note:

Yields 2 - 9×5 loafs of bread perfect for sandwiches or most anything else.

For The Perfect White Bread, use 6 cups of all purpose flour instead of 3 wheat and 3 all purpose.

Wheat Bread done and ready to be eaten - Yum!

4 Years Ago Today

Wordless Wednessday

January 9th 2012 - Wolf Moon

Link to: Wordless Wednesday

Sunny and warm...

Overnight Low: 31.1°F.
Today's High: 50.5°F.
Current Temp: 48.2°F. and sunny

Not a lot going on today, just relaxing with family and enjoying this beautiful day. Clear sky and sunshine, what more could one ask for?

I really want to start making homemade bread on a regular basis so I decided to start today. I'm attempting to make Perfect and Easy Homemade White Bread today. It is on the stove raising as I type. I cut out the kneading by hand process and let my kitchen aid to do all the work, by mixing on second speed for 5 minutes once all the flour was added.

picture from Ever Parent

*** Update***

Gotta love a loaf of bread that rises this high above the pan!

I can only dream that this recipe will be as easy and turn out as wonderful, every time, as this first time! Look at that beauty... in all my previous attempts to make bread from scratch I have rarely gotten it to rise like this.

Sorry... for some reason the taste function is not working on my computer today.

I so wish I could share just a slice (or two) with all of you. You'd be hooked too. I can see several loaves of this in our future. I'd like to send a special thanks to Ever Parent for sharing this wonderful recipe.

Happy new Year!!!

Overnight Low: 39.2°F.
Today's High: 48.9°F.
Current Temp: 45.5°F.

   Today started out sunny and warm, but by noon the rain had started and it's been raining all afternoon. The temperature is still 43°F. Very unusualy for this time of year, but I'm not complaining.

   My friend *D* and I went to get some chickens yesterday morning, she ended up keeping 4 of the hens and I brought home 6 hens and a rooster home with me. We were told they are about a year old. Most are RIRs but the rooster and one hen are White Leghorns. When I did chores last night I found two eggs, I know the white egg is from one of the new chickens as I didn't have any white egg layers before. And the brown one I think also came from one of the new chickens because it was in one of the nests on the top row which my old chickens have never used. Only had one egg in the nest today at chore time, but hopefully they will continue to lay and the rest will start.... I miss getting eggs everyday.

3 Years Ago Today
4 Years Ago Today

Our new Christmas Ornament

A couple of days before Christmas my almost three year old came out to the kitchen saying "Brudder binky in Christian Tree, Momma". (He call the Christmas Tree a "Christian Tree" - love it!) At first I thought he had taken it from his brother and threw it in the tree, but he was acting too proud for that to be the case. "Come here, see" he said as he turned and ran back into the living room. This is what I found when I got there...

It was just too cute not to share. We decided to leave it there because *K* (10 1/2 months old) doesn't really use it anymore, other then as a toy. So it is now officially part of the Christmas decorations. A first Christmas Ornament - so to speak.
I've been so blessed! My boys both gave up their pacifiers around 10 mths old. They just seemed to be done all of the sudden. No warning, no fussing, nothing -  just done. One of my worst fears, when I decided to start letting them suck on a "binky", was that it would be SO hard to break them of it once they started. Thank you, God - for giving me such easy going boys!

4 Years Ago Today

Granola Recipe

Granola with Coconut, Dates, Raisins and Chocolate Chips
2 cups rolled oats1/2 cup ground flaxseed1/2 cup wheat germ1/2 cup shredded coconutPinch of salt1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped dried dates
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine oats, flaxseed, wheat germ, salt, cinnamon, and coconut. Melt butter in a separate bowl and add vanilla. Add honey to the oat combination and stir until evenly coated. Stir in butter until oat mixture is evenly coated. Spread on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes and stir every 5 minutes. Let it cool completely before stirring in dates, raisins, and the chocolate chips. Enjoy with milk for breakfast or alone as a snack.


4 Years Ago Today

Kamsnaps is having a Giveaway!!!!

My favorite place to get snaps from - okay I must admit, it's the ONLY place I get snaps from - KAMsnaps is having a giveaway!!!


Snap Pliers Giveway Celebrating 2600 Facebook Fans

It is time to celebrate 2600 Facebook likes!

This giveaway is open to residents anywhere. The winners will each receive a coupon code to apply towards our KAM pliers for plastic snaps here. (Shipping fees may apply if your order subtotal does not reach the free shipping minimum.) The giveaway ends on Jan 5, 2012, and the winners will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

~~~~~~~~~~

These are the snaps I used when making cloth diapers. I have also added them to tote bags, clothing and a lot of things around the house to make life easier.

I love them and have never had any problems with them. In addition I love the sevice I get when ordering from KAMsnaps.com.

Lazy Saturday...

   I woke up to *Z* yelling "Momma!... Momma!... It 'nowing out there!!!! He was so excited to see the snow.

 We have just a dusting but that is enough to put us in the Christmas Spirit. We put the tree up last night but didn't start decorating until this morning. Got the lights and a few (and I mean very few) decorations on it. I can't seem to find most of my ornaments. This is really bothering me because I know I have lots of decorations and I have always put them in one closet at the end of the season, but they are not in there this year.

   I'd like to just sit here in my comfy chair with my cup of coffee all day but I have to get ready to go to a Christmas Party....

This has to be some kind of record...

An overnight low of 42.4°F. Yesterday's high was 50.8°F, and I see it is already 51°F today at 11:18 a.m. I'm not complaining one bit, I don't even miss the snow. But I sure am glad Santa's Reindeer can fly because it would be hard to pull a sleigh through mud.


4 Years Ago Today

Wordless Wednessday

Four years ago today - much different then today. We have no snow.

YAY!!!

YAY!!! The first egg that we've gotten in a couple of months.

Taco Bake

I was looking around on Pinterest yesterday, looking for something different to make for dinner, and this is what I found.

Taco Bake from 2 Maids a Milking (picture from their blog)

Taco Bake

Ingredients:1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg. taco seasoning
8 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. crescent rolls (8)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
1 c. shredded cheese
Dorito chips

1. Brown hamburger and drain.
2. Add taco seasoning, tomato sauce, tiny bit of water, and diced tomatoes. Simmer...

3. In 9x13 dish, press out crescent rolls and roll them to form crust.

4. Layer hamburger mixture, sour cream and then cheese.

5. Crush about 3/4 of a bag of Doritos and put them on top. Bake at 350 for 30 min.

Enjoy!!!

New buck on the farm

Since the coyotes (or something) decided that our other buck (Biscuit) would make a better dinner for them then a pet for us we have been looking for a new buck to breed the does.

This is Billy, how original huh? He came with that name, but it may change. The day we went to get him it was raining so I decided I'd just take the van.That way he'd be inside instead of in an open crate in the back of the truck, and risk making him sick. I recruited my friend *D* to go with me in case I needed help, I wasn't sure how friendly he was going to be. As it turned out he is very gentle and loaded very easy. I tied him in the back between the back seat and the back doors and he laid and road home very quiet. In fact he was so comfy back there that once we got home I had to do a little convincing to get him out of the van. Little did he know he had two does standing at the gate anxiously awaiting for his arrival.... I had noticed the day before that the LaMancha and Toggenburg were both in heat.

As goats do when bringing a new one into the herd they had to start shoving each other around and head butting one another.... somewhere in the process of all this the LaMancha, Pipsqueak, got her horn hooked in the stock panel and couldn't get it out. *D* and I were trying to get Pipsqueak's head turned just right to get the horn unstuck, but were not having much luck. I went inside the barn to call all the other in, thinking if they weren't running around us we could put more focus on the job at hand. No sooner did I get the other goats secured inside the barn when I heard Pipsqueak holler and *D* yelled for me to come out. I couldn't imagine what happened. When I got to the front door of the barn *D* was saying "she just ripped her horn off"! All I could envision was blood everywhere so I headed for the house to get the blood stop powder and all of the sudden *Z* started screaming and crying, he had witnessed the whole thing and with all the commotion was scared and confused. When I got back from the house I found *D* standing in front of the barn, with the shell of Pipsqueak's horn in her hand, trying to console *Z*. He wanted no part of her as long as she had that horn in her hand.

When I got back to Pipsqueak she wasn't bleeding nearly as bad as I had envisioned she would be - thankfully! I dumped some blood stop powder on her head, separated her from the rest of the herd and kept checking on her the rest of the day to make sure she was okay.

She seems to be doing okay, but I can tell that stub is really sensitive. This has deffinetly knocked her down a few rungs in the pecking order, as she will be avoiding all the other goats until this heals up, because she doesn't want them butting her (I can't blame her).

What we got when...

I was looking for something yummy to make today when I found a brownie mix in the cupboard, but *Z* was insisting we make cookies. I knew there had to be a way to combined the two so we worked our magic and this is what we came up with.

What do you get when a Brownie and a Chocolate Chip Cookie have babies???

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies - of course.

What we used:
1 - box of fudge brownie mix (19.8 oz)
1 cup flour
1 large egg
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips - we used the minis
3/4 cup confectioners sugar

This is what we did:In a mixing bowl, combine brownie mix, flour, egg, water, oil, and chocolate chips; mix well.

Place confectioners' sugar in a shallow dish. * Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into sugar; roll to coat (the dough will be quite sticky but it'll be okay).

Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks.

*Note to self - put confectioner's sugar in a bowl big enough to hold the amount of cookies for one tray (mine hold 8 cookies per tray) it will make life easier. You wont have to stop and wash the sugar off your hands to drop more dough balls in, or get dough and sugar on you scoop.

Enjoy with a nice cold glass of milk!!!!

Another cloth diaper giveaway....
Green Baby Guide is hosting Charlie Banana Diaper giveaway.
http://greenbabyguide.com/2011/11/30/charlie-banana-diaper-giveaway/comment-page-3/#comment-14120

Go check it out and enter to win if interested.

We feel like Pizza tonight!!!

Pizza Crust
1 3/4 cup warm water
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast (recommended: RapidRise)
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for bowl
Cornmeal, for pan

Directions
Preheat oven at 450 degrees F.
Measure out 1 3/4 cups warm water (it should be pleasantly warm on your wrist). Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and allow it to activate, about 5 minutes.
Add 4 1/2 cups Flour, Salt and Oil mix with dough hook on low for about a minute. Scrape bowl and mix on medium for about 3 minutes add the additional flour if needed, mix until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, until doubled in size, then punch it down. Divide it in half; each half will make 1 (12-inch) pizza.
Place on a cornmeal-dusted pizza stone, pizza pan, or cookie sheet. Roll up edge slightly to create a ridge around the pizza. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until crust is light brown.
Cook's Note: If using only half dough, freeze the other half. Place the dough in a resealable freezer bag. To thaw, remove the bag from the freezer and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Roll the dough out while cold then allow it to come to room temperature before adding toppings.

So far today....

   I woke up this morning around 7:00 hearing my 2 1/2 year old son whining that he wanted to go to "Neese's" ( a friend of ours)... serioiously Kid! You haven't even been up for two minutes... and your eyes aren't even completely open yet and you are asking to go to someone else's house? I must be a terrible morning person if the kid is ready to leave me already....LOL.
   I got him convinced that we'd go to Neese's in a little while after his baby brother wakes for the day. I had him feed the dogs to help distract him ... got my coffee and went into the other room to sit down and noticed something up in the corner.....



Ick...



   Bats are the creepiest things, it's just my opinion - but it is a VERY strong opinion so don't try telling me how benificial they are the the eco system either!

   Within minutes of getting the bat out of the house my Mom stopped in to show us what she just picked up from the post office.

Thirty baby chicks. Not sure what breeds she ordered but they sure are cute. *Z* decided to go home with him "Mamma" to help her get the babies set up in their new home. That will help distract him until it's time to go see Neese.

*K* just woke up and Mom and *Z* are coming in the front door....

To be continued...... as the day progresses









My latest adventures

I've been keeping busy sewing lately. With the two little guys to keep up with I haven't had a lot of time to devote to sewing but I really have been trying to alot some time at least five days a week to this new venture.

Tots Bots Easy Fit and Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold Giveaway!

Jillian's Drawers in Ithica, NY is having another giveaway!!!!

Tots Bots Easy Fit and Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold Giveaway!

You need to go over there and check it out .... and of course enter to win if you use cloth. If you don't cloth diaper maybe this is your chance to start or start a stash for someone else. GO CHECK IT OUT.

Two Year Ago Today

Wordless Wednesday